KR wrote:

> My one reservation on the Fuschia Dunlop book is that for all its
> length, there aren't as many recipes as you would expect... she goes for
> the "recipe plus a 3-page essay" style of cookbook design, where each
> dish is placed in context and accompanied by an account of origin,
> personal reminiscence or detailed explanation. Which is fine and dandy
> in its own way - Sort of what I like in a cookbook actually, having cut
> my teeth on Yamuna Devi's "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking" and
> Shizuo Tsuji's "Japanese Cooking - A Simple Art".

[snip]

... Dunlop talks about lots of home meat curing
> going on in Sichuan, but gives a recipe for bacon only. Overall: the
> glass is 3/4 full. Points for tackling Sichuan cuisine, points for
> striving for authenticity, points for being detailed and interesting and
> unique... points deducted for making a big, big deal about how important
> it is in Sichuan cooking to cut the ingredients just so, and then not
> provide drawings (let alone photos) of most of the recipes. Points
> deducted for breathless excitement about using a cleaver :-) Points
> deducted for not including more recipes, and for assuming readers will
> most likely never have access to actual Chinese vegetables. I want a
> good Sichuan radish recipe dammit! :-) I also want more info about
> pickling and preserved food.
>
> My review above is festooned with smiley faces :-) to make the point
> that I do not hate Fuschia Dunlop or this book. I just wish it were
> more, and better.

I agree with what you say about Dunlop's book. Not enough pix, not
enough recipes. I'm usually working from the perspective of "What can I
do with this chicken breast?" and the choices she offers are quite
limited. OTOH, I love many of the recipes that ARE there. I'd buy it
again, and I'd give it as a gift - but I still wanted more!

Ian